Hayden – Us Alone (Arts & Crafts)

It’s been a few years since we’ve heard from Toronto singer-songwriter Hayden Desser. On Us Alone, his seventh studio record, Desser stays close to what he has built his reputation on (heartfelt, raw songwriting) while simultaneously dialing back on the instrumentation somewhat. The record could draw comparisons to Neil Young’s Harvest especially on tracks such as Almost Everything and Motel while Blurry Nights evokes more of an On The Beach vibe. Hayden’s baritone voice remains one of the most unique on the Canadian music landscape today. It is great to have him back.